Forgive me not
by violentpornography
Summary: After a run in with Sasuke while on a mission with Sai in Kirigakure Naruto awakens in hospital to the news that he has finally brought Sasuke back with him. Sasuke has agreed to co-operate and stay in the hopes of rekindling their friendship but Naruto doesn't trust him, he trusts him even less when he realizes Sasuke wants far more than friendship. Will Naruto forgive him?
1. Prologue

**Chapter one.  
Prologue.**

**A/N So I've noticed all my chapters are quite muddled, sentences cut off short, words are missing and there's been no spacing at all and I apologize immensely, I hope you can understand the program I had been writing and uploading off is ancient and just isn't compatible with Fanfiction. I've had problems with it in the past and should have realized but didn't, I'm editing every chapter of every story on my laptop and re-uploading so please bear with me!  
- Chantelle**

The winter wind was sharp and bitter and it whipped viciously at Naruto's skin. Goosebumps formed on the back of is his neck, but it was a different cold air that chilled him to the core. His blue eyes turned dark and he could have sworn his heart stood still when Sasuke appeared before him.

"Naruto…"  
His tone was laced with venom and hearing Sasuke speak his name made him feel sick. He was sick with anger, with sorrow, with regret. He regretted that he didn't save his teammate, and before him stood a faded shadow of the man he once knew. He studied Sasuke and searched for his old friend, finding nothing but hollow eyes and a sickening smile.  
"Sasuke."

He was brief and almost spat the name out. He could feel the tension rising and the air was growing heavy and thick with anticipation. His fingers twitched at his side and slowly a grin emerged on his lips as he found himself growing more and more eager to fight.

"Let's just get this over and done with Sasuke, we both know how it'll end."  
There was no-one but the two of them, no spectators and best of all no interference. Sasuke gave his own smile, stunned by Naruto's change in attitude towards him, but almost glad of it. He couldn't read Naruto anymore; the two had drifted so far apart now that he genuinely believed that this time there would be no more pulling punches between the two of them. This time he believed Naruto would try to kill him.

"Well well Naruto, I must say, I like this new you… It almost makes me sad to think that I left you."  
Naruto furrowed his brows and let out a low growl.  
"Almost…"  
Their meeting had been by sheer chance this time. Naruto had been sent to Kirigakure on a mission to deliver important documents to the Mizukage. Sai had accompanied him but was back at the village market while Naruto had decided to explore the outskirts of the Mist Village on his own. He had never expected this.

"You've lost your place in the world now Sasuke, consider yourself dead already."  
While part of Sasuke was satisfied to finally hear that Naruto had given up on him, another part of him was furious that Naruto thought he could kill him so easily.  
"What happened to 'never giving up' Naruto? If you were incapable of bringing me back what makes you think you can kill me?"

Naruto snickered.  
"I haven't given up Sasuke, I always swore I'd bring you back and I intend to; I intend to drag your limp, lifeless body back with me!"  
"Enough! I'll kill you where you stand and shut you and your misplaced ego up once and for all!"  
Both men ran forward; Rasengan in one hand and Chidori in the other and a brilliant white flash blinded them as they collided and all went black.

He hadn't a clue where he was when he first awoke. His vision was blurred and took a moment to focus. When it did he found Sakura was hovering over him, a pretty smile lit up her face.  
"He's awake! Kakashi!"  
Kakashi left the room to find a nurse. So many things were circulating through his head. How did he end up here? What about the fight, did he win? Did Sasuke escape? Was Sasuke _dead_?  
He couldn't for the life of him remember anything past the bright white light.

"Naruto, are you okay? Don't move, just stay still. You've had a pretty bad concussion."  
Typically Naruto did not. He sat up fast and glanced around the room to see who was with him.  
It must have just been Kakashi and Sakura because he could only see her.  
"Where's Sasuke? Did he?"  
He trailed off. He didn't want to use the word die.

Sakura's eyes widened and she looked away, causing Naruto to think that maybe he had but she sighed and shook her head.  
"No, he didn't… He's here… In the hospital."  
She closed her eyes and waited for an explosion but after several moments felt let down when she opened her eyes to a calm Naruto who was simply staring at his bandaged hands that sat on his lap.  
"Naruto?"

She asked. She had expected more of a reaction and it almost scared her more that he wasn't leaping out of his bed. The two males had been found lying side by side completely unconscious. Sasuke still hadn't awoken, and for that she was thankful.

It gave them all time to wrap their heads around the situation, especially now that Naruto had awoken. Kakashi wanted the situation dealt with swiftly so that if Sasuke tried to escape upon waking then they could act without hesitation.

So far the possible outcomes for Sasuke were; death, imprisonment or if he co-operated he would be allowed to resume his status in the village. They had to discuss this with Naruto before he ran in head first with his own ideas.  
If they didn't get the chance to sit him down and convince him that Sasuke's reaction was the sole factor that would decide his fate he would probably kick up a storm.  
"It's fine Sakura. Can I see him?"

He had barely awoken and already he was obsessed with visiting their old friend. She herself had only been in once. It was terrible to look at Sasuke in such a fragile state.  
"Soon, you need to rest. Sasuke is still asleep so there's no rush."  
She had a feeling Sasuke would be out for a lot longer, the only reason Naruto had recovered so quickly was because Kyuubi who had acted quickly to heal him.

He wouldn't be far from a full recovery. It never ceased to amaze Sakura, the power that Naruto contained. Just when she thought she'd seen him at his peak he'd prove he hadn't even begun to show his true capabilities. She often wondered if truly had met his match in Sasuke or if Naruto just couldn't bring himself to hurt him.

'_This must have been some fight…_' She thought to herself.  
Usually Sasuke found some way to escape but this time… He had finally captured the remaining Uchiha.  
Naruto seemed to accept the situation and lay back down without any fuss. His head was throbbing and his body ached, he didn't fancy himself wandering far from the bed immediately anyway.

He had a million questions to ask but wasn't sure if he could handle the answers so for the mean time remained silent.  
"Sai will be here to see you soon. He was the one who found you."  
Sai. He'd forgotten about the mission and his team mate.  
"Did he get the mission finished?"

He hoped that maybe Sai had started searching for him after the completion of the mission. It can't have gone badly.  
"Yes, you don't need to worry about that. Just try relax, you'll probably have a lot of visitors soon once word spreads that you're awake."  
She paused before continuing, finding her probing to be quite rude. Even so she had to know.

"How did you find him? I mean, what happened?"  
Naruto sighed, he'd figured the question would pop up sooner or later, he'd just hoped for later when hopefully he'd recovered his memory.  
"It's hazy… I was just walking and he was there. I didn't think it was real at first… It still feels like it was just a dream."

Sakura's face dropped with slight disappointment. She'd hoped for some kind of explanation and was dissatisfied with the response she received instead.  
"I'll let you get some rest now, I'm sure the nurse will be in soon."  
She said after a short while. She smiled sweetly and left the room when he nodded.

It almost hurt to think that Sasuke could possibly be back in the picture. She had gotten closer to Naruto over the years, and all though Naruto had always chased after Sasuke and obsessed over him, she didn't much like the idea of Sasuke being back in the picture and complicating things.  
She sighed and after a brief moment headed off to the cafeteria for lunch.

'_I was going to kill him… I can't believe I actually wanted to. What's going to happen now? I have to see him…_'  
Naruto had no intention of lying down in a hospital bed knowing full well that Sasuke was so close. He had so much he wanted to ask and Sasuke was the only one who could give him the answers he was looking for. The sudden entry of Kakashi with a nurse following suit interrupted his thoughts momentarily.

"Naruto, I'm just going to do a quick basics observation if you don't mind."  
The nurse was pretty blonde girl who didn't look to be that much older. She smiled warmly at him and he gave a half assed smile in response.  
"That's fine."  
Kakashi remained silent on the other side of the room, giving a simple nod when Naruto made eye contact with him. Naruto was motioned to sit on the edge of the bed and did so, waiting patiently while the nurse prepared her equipment.

As soon as he received the all-clear he had no intention of lying down on his backside and resting, whether Sasuke was awake or not he had to see him.  
He had to prove to himself that this was really happening, that he had _finally_brought Sasuke home.  
'_I didn't mean it Sasuke, when I said you don't belong anywhere anymore… I lied, you belong right here'_


	2. Vermillion

**Chapter two.  
Vermilion.**

The night air was thick and heavy, forcing Naruto kick off his bed sheets and toss in turn in an attempt to cool himself down. He was restless and he knew that it wasn't the heat that was keeping him up; it was his stirring mind that had him in a state.

After his check-up he had found himself in the company of nearly everyone in the village. They all wanted to see how he was and when he was going to be let out of hospital, but most importantly they wanted to know how he did it. How he brought the sole surviving Uchiha back to the village. He couldn't answer them.  
He didn't even know himself because he knew that it wasn't _him_who did it. It was Kyuubi.

This wasn't his victory. He wanted to bring Sasuke back without extra help, he wanted to prove to himself that his training had paid off and that he had grown stronger since Sasuke had left. He had always preached that natural strength was false, that true strength came from passion, endurance and the love of friends.

He had always berated Sasuke for never training as hard, and that his strength had been handed to him so that made him weak, and yet, it was him who had relied on power that had been given to him. With a growl Naruto sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed he rested his face in his hands and let out a frustrated sigh.

Amidst all the chaos that surrounded his life he had forgotten who he was. His dream to be Hokage was as strong as ever, but sometimes he felt like he had forgotten what was important to him.  
He had become obsessed with Sasuke and along the way some where the old him had disappeared. Naruto could never admit to anyone that he had finally given up on Sasuke. He had fought for his own life, not for his friend.

Perhaps that's why Kyuubi had taken over, and maybe that's why he let him. He finally found Sasuke when he wasn't even looking.  
After only a few moments of being lost in thought, Naruto found himself interrupted by fast approaching footsteps that threatened to catch him halfway out of bed. He tucked himself into bed with one swift, painful, movement and feigned sleep.

Surely enough the door creaked open and a stream of light slowly crept into the room and lit up his face. He held a straight face and waited until the light retreated and the door clicked shut before slowly opening his eyes again.  
The first thing he saw was the dark outline of a figure standing barely inches from him, and slowly the figure became more visible as his eyes adjusted once more to the dark.

"Gaara?"  
Sitting up immediately Naruto let a large grin stretch across his handsome face.  
"You're fine, the impression I got was that you were in a critical state. I wouldn't have bothered sneaking in tonight if I had known."  
His face and soft voice were impassive but there was a light in his jade eyes that hinted to Naruto he was far more worried and relieved than Gaara wanted to lead on.  
"You came all this way just to see me and now you're trying to convince me you're not bothered? I'm flattered Gaara, you really do care!" He teased back. Gaara gave a small smile.

"I came for other business. It was merely coincidental timing. I knew you'd be fine."  
Naruto felt a hot flush form on his cheeks and he turned his head slightly to try hide it.  
He couldn't help feeling a little nervous around Gaara. He was so powerful and intimidating but he had such a relaxed and chillingly calm demeanor about him. He was so surreal. He was always in awe of Gaara.

His friend gave him something to strive for, but he could never quite believe he'd ever be able to live up to Gaara's standards. The guy was simply too flawless. His compliment had only been small but it was so significant to Naruto.  
It was a comforting light in the darkness. Gaara still thought highly of him, even if he thought little of himself he still meant something to his friends.

"You really think so?"  
"It'd take a lot to defeat you. I should know."  
They had only been children when they fought. They had both changed so much since then. Gaara had changed the most though. Out of anyone he knew. It made him think back to when Sasuke was still a part of team seven. He'd felt like he was stuck in one place.

Everyone around him knew he wasn't and that he'd grow stronger but it just ate away at him. Is that how he was feeling? Looking at Gaara now he wondered if the anger and confusion he was feeling was the same as what Sasuke had felt.  
"Sasuke's here, did you know that? They're waiting for him to wake up."  
Gaara gave a small nod.  
"You should be proud of yourself, it's what you wanted wasn't it?"

It had been. A long time ago.  
"It still doesn't feel real. I don't think it was me who brought him back though. I can't remember much, Kyuubi took over."  
Gaara took a seat on the edge of the bed and placed his hand over top of Naruto's.  
"You are still you. You may share your body but you're the one who controls it. You are still here, the nine tailed beast didn't take over. Sasuke is here because of you."

Gaara had never been one to find the appropriate words to comfort his friends with, but the two males were the same and he knew too well what the life of a Jinchuuriki was like.  
"Thank you Gaara."  
"I should let you rest. You probably have a lot to think about."  
Naruto gave a small nod and watched as Gaara left the room without saying another word.

After a few moments he lay down and closed his eyes. He had a lot to think about but tonight wasn't the night.  
He had to sleep so he could be fully rested for the next day.  
He had no idea what was in store for him, probably more visitors and nurses running tests and check-ups.

If all went well he'd be out tomorrow afternoon and back in his own bed. Some of his bandages had already come off and he was almost completely healed. He couldn't help but consider it a double edged sword. On one hand he was impatient so the rate at which he healed always meant he was on his feet in no time and yet he hated relying on Kyuubi. It made him feel incompetent and weak.  
"That's enough for tonight."  
He told himself. He would continue to berate himself in the morning; he couldn't handle any more tonight. With that he let himself drift off to sleep and dreamt of a dark haired boy with sad, piercing charcoal eyes.

"Naruto."  
Her voice was delicate and apologetic for disturbing his peaceful slumber, calling out his name and gently shaking him until he finally opened his eyes. A string of drool ran from his open mouth onto the pillow. When he sat up and realized he quickly wiped it away and gave her a sheepish grin.  
"Morning Sakura!"  
The sun was blindingly bright as it burst through the uncovered windows and filled the room with color.

"You seem better today."  
Sakura noted. She wasn't just talking about his physical health, his mood had lifted significantly. A smile lit up her face.  
"Shikamaru will be in this afternoon to see you. That will just about be everyone in the village."

Everyone had been worried about Naruto, but he was always injuring himself and was in and out of hospital constantly, she believed they had other reasons for wanting to check up on him. Naruto didn't say anything. He didn't know what to with all the attention he was receiving. He knew Shikamaru wouldn't ask any questions, he wouldn't even care that Sasuke was back.

"Naruto, that's not the reason I woke you up. I have something else to tell you too."  
There something in the tone of her voice that caused Naruto to freeze and a cold chill to stop the blood in his veins.  
"It's Sasuke."  
She held a straight face and searched his eyes for some sort of indication as to how he felt. His cerulean eyes were wide with shock. He'd been waiting for this. He had been impatient but now he felt completely unprepared for news he was receiving.  
"He's awake."

"Are you sure you want this?"  
Kakashi and Sakura had led him to Sasuke's room and the three stood and waited while Naruto made up his mind about entering. When Sasuke woke he'd asked for Naruto. Kakashi had explained the situation but Sasuke refused to say another word. He was worried about the two being alone together but he would be outside to stop anything if the situation got out of control. He hoped it wouldn't.

"I'm ready."  
Naruto finally said after a few moments of thinking it over.  
He would face Sasuke. This was the closest he'd been to having Sasuke back at home and he had to swallow his nerves. He would never forgive himself if he didn't. He slowly entered and the two took a step back.  
"We'll be right here waiting for you."

Sakura encouraged. She squeezed his hand and retreated. Nodding, Naruto walked into the room and closed the door.  
It took him a couple of seconds to realize Sasuke was in the bed before him, and it took him even longer to realize that cold black eyes were staring straight back at him.

"Naruto."  
He had forgotten what color Sasuke's eyes truly were. It'd been a long time since they had talked like this. Sasuke always had his Sharingan activated. He found himself on edge and all his muscles tensed when Sasuke called him. His tone was bitter but there was no venom, no threat of violence.

He couldn't speak. He opened his mouth but soon after closed it when he found himself at a complete loss for words. Stepping forward into the center of the room he found his heart beating faster and faster the closer he got to Sasuke.  
"You're healed already. You never cease to impress me."

He couldn't understand. After belittling him all this time Sasuke was giving him praise? His face distorted in anger and he felt a flush of anger heat his body.  
"How dare you!" He growled, balling his hands into tight fists.  
"After all this time, after everything you did and said!"

His breath was heavy and he had to work hard to calm himself down before he lost his cool completely. Sasuke gave a small smile. It was warm and genuine, and Naruto felt his heart sink. He wanted to hate Sasuke, it was easier to let go and just be angry than to think of Sasuke as the person he once was. Sasuke's eyes had softened and Naruto found his old friend in the face of his new enemy.

"You think I like being this? This wasn't who I wanted to become."  
"You still made that choice. You chose to abandon the village, so why are you still here, why haven't you tried to leave?"  
There was the obvious fact that Sasuke was bedridden and surrounded by ANBU black ops who were just itching to start a fight with him, but still, Naruto knew that Sasuke would rather test his luck and die than be in Konohagakure.

Sasuke closed his eyes and subtly screwed his face up for a brief second. Naruto tried to search for something, maybe genuine emotion, but was dissatisfied. It was a few moments before Sasuke finally opened his eyes to meet with Naruto's.

"I don't have anything left to live for now. I don't have a family; I thought that the death of Itachi would bring me some sort of closure but it hasn't.  
I don't have a purpose. I don't have a reason to leave."

"So you're staying?"  
He couldn't wrap his head around it. Sasuke had chosen his path, his path was revenge and destruction, after everything he'd done he couldn't back down now. He would never forgive Sasuke for the pain he'd caused.  
"I have no other choice."  
"You do, you're just taking the easy option!"  
Sasuke growled and sat up.

"How is this easy? It's anything but! I'm trying to swallow my pride and make things right again!"  
Naruto stiffened visibly and Sasuke's face softened out of guilt that he'd yelled. Naruto said nothing and he gave a soft sigh.  
"When we met the other day, I'd gone looking for you.  
I wanted you to kill me. I was worn down; I couldn't bring myself to beg for the village's forgiveness so I thought it'd be better for everyone if you killed me. It had to be you Naruto. I wanted to at least give you that much."

He paused and searched Naruto's eyes for a change of emotion, his own eyes pleaded for redemption but Naruto's remained still and cold.  
"I wish I could believe you. Every piece of me truly wants to forgive you, but I just can't do that."  
With that he left the room. Sasuke called after him but his voice was cut off when the door closed. Naruto leant against it and started to cry.


	3. Rejection

**Chapter three.  
Rejection**

**A/N. I hope you're enjoying the story so far, it's currently my favourite to write, review and let me know what you think, I love hearing from you guys (:  
- Chantelle**

"_Listen carefully to the sound,  
of your loneliness.  
Like a heartbeat drives you mad,  
in the stillness of remembering;  
what you had and what you lost."_

There was a vase of flowers, chocolates and a card sitting on his small dining table when Naruto returned home from the hospital. The card read;

"_Naruto,  
We're glad to have you home safe, we were all worried sick.  
Team seven."_

The hand writing was delicate and neat, leading him to believe it was Sakura who had set it all up. He smiled fondly and placed it down again. Personally he would have preferred baking over flowers and chocolate but he wasn't going to complain or be ungrateful. He made a mental note to thank his team later when they grouped together to discuss their next mission.

At this point Naruto was not often held in hospital for long and when he was released he was mostly given missions nearly immediately after.  
He was the fastest healing ninja in the village, at least, physically he was.

As he traced his fingers over a light cut on his arm that was only a few days ago a deep wound he wondered why he couldn't move on from Sasuke just as quickly.  
Every part of him was still angry, still hurt and he just for once wished he was dead inside.

Kakashi had often claimed his passion was a double edged sword; while his determination and love for his friends was a good thing, the anger and sorrow he felt for Sasuke that was slowly eating away at him was just as strong as any happiness he'd ever felt.

He made his way to his kitchen cupboard and pulled out some cup ramen. His stomach had been growling all morning and the hospital food just wasn't the same.  
"I've missed you ramen!"  
"I've missed you too Naruto."  
Naruto let out an undignified squeal and dropped the cup. He turned around when he heard laughing.  
"Sakura, what the heck!"

He shot her a dark glare and she stuck out her tongue as a playful response.  
"The great Uzumaki Naruto, scared of a talking cup of ramen? Who would've thought?"  
Naruto lightened up and grinned, picking the cup back up he turned on the jug.  
"Want some tea?"  
Sakura nodded and gave a polite smile.  
"I should be the one making tea for you; shouldn't you be taking it easy? I know you heal fast but it'd appease me to know you weren't jumping back into things straight away."  
"Sakura, it's just a cup of tea, I've barely walked in the door."  
She gave a small chuckle.  
"You're right, sorry."  
"Thank you Sakura, for the flowers and stuff."

"It was from all of us. Sai was actually the one who suggested it."  
'_Sai._' He hadn't seen Sai since their mission. He thought Sai was just too indifferent to come see him. Sai had promised to visit him but he never showed up. He wanted to talk to him. He made a mental note to go have a look for him once Sakura went home.  
"When does Sasuke get let out."

Sakura let out an audible gasp. She'd actually come to speak to him about it, she just didn't know how to bring it up. She hadn't been expecting him to ask so openly.  
"Well, it's up to the council to decide his fate at this point. Kakashi sensei believes he'll get a lighter sentence, now that he's finally agreed to return."  
"Even after he killed Danzo?"  
Sakura nodded and looked at her feet. In reality she was merely being hopeful. They took into account his compliance as well as his friendship with Naruto, and Naruto's sheer desperation for him to return to them but she knew Sasuke's crimes were unforgivable.

"Don't tell me that after all he's put this village through, he can apologize and everything just goes back to normal? After all the pain he caused _us _Sakura, do you forgive him too?"  
"Naruto…"  
She didn't know how to respond. Of course she did. She did because the Naruto she had grown to love would have forgiven him too. The Naruto she knew would have given his life to save Sasuke, but now... Maybe it was because he was being looked at for the position of Hokage that he was acting like this.

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine a time where Naruto would have given everything he had to influence them into letting Sasuke return.  
"Sakura, how could you? He tried to kill you, he tried to kill all of us!"  
She felt her eyes tear up and when she opened them she found herself nearly disgusted by the sight of him.  
"Listen to yourself! After telling everyone you'll never give up and you'll bring him home you're the only one rejecting him! You lied Naruto, the only one I can't forgive now is you!"  
And with that she stormed off, slamming the front door behind her. He subconsciously raised a hand to his cheek, feeling stung as though he'd been slapped. Growling, Naruto stormed off to his room and collapsed onto his bed.

He couldn't understand how she could side with Sasuke so easily, Sasuke was cold, selfish and cruel. Surely she could see that. Every fiber of his body screamed that it was all a lie so he could infiltrate the village and destroy it from in the inside out. Now that he was so close to finally leading the village he had to protect it at all costs.

He couldn't take the risk of trusting Sasuke, and he prayed the Leaf village council would see through any possible deception.

'_Sasuke, as long as I'm here to protect this village I will not let you become a threat to it. No matter the bond we once shared.' _

"Mitokado-sama, Utatane-sama, I do believe Naruto has genuine concerns about Sasuke resuming his status in the village. I also believe he is misguided by his love for the people of the village.

While his intentions are respectable, by refusing his personal feelings completely he is doing just as much harm to the village as he would by letting them control his decisions.

If Sasuke is genuine about returning to the village then I believe he would be a great asset to us all, he can help restore its former glory as well as set an example of peace for neighboring countries and villages."

"Personal feelings can be tricky. I have the upmost respect for his dedication to this village and ensuring its safety,  
Kakashi. As his mentor you must be proud to have such a student under your wing. Right now, he needs your guidance more than ever. With Jiraiya-san gone you are the role model he looks up to.  
He is being given the opportunity to govern the village, perhaps the pressure is weighing down so heavily on him that he's forgotten his ideals and his friends."

Kakashi sighed and turned his view to the village. The council had called him to discuss the situation with Sasuke and Naruto and whether or not to involve Naruto in the final decision.

In the beginning Kakashi believed the outcome would be very biased, with the council deeming Sasuke as a threat and Naruto having poor judgment due to his age and with the restrictions they'd attempted to place on Naruto in the past, he never believed they'd consider Naruto for such a powerful position, or be in favor of letting Sasuke return.  
Perhaps after all these years they'd grown softer.  
"Homura-Sama, what is your take on the situation?"  
The elder male sighed.

"It's all quite troublesome. We've got no way of proving the Uchiha boy's intentions are pure. I suggest we keep him under close observation. Naruto as well. When we take into consideration the protection Sasuke can offer the village it would seem foolish to reject his request for forgiveness.

We can't afford to cut him loose without execution either, he could turn against the village again and if anything were to happen to him he may still have allies, enemies of the village, who will retaliate.

Kakashi, you were once close to the boy, I believe you are the only one who can decide whether or not he's genuine about returning. I have confidence your decision will not be based on either hard feelings or your bond as his former mentor."

In all his years Kakashi had never seen the council so troubled by a decision. Were they counting on his compassion to decide the fate of the youngest Uchiha?

They themselves were never very compassionate and after the trouble the slaughtering of the Uchiha clan had caused he believed they were starting to question their judgments.  
"Mitokado-sama, Utatane-sama. I'll speak to him by the end of the day and bring back my conclusion."

And with a brief nod he was gone.

Naruto didn't move from his bed until a timid knock snapped him out of his sulking a little while later. He slowly rose to his feet and answered the door.  
"Hinata, what are you doing here?"  
A small flicker of excitement raced in his chest. He nervously rubbed the back of his head and gave a sheepish smile.

"Naruto-Kun. I wish to speak to you."  
His mood changed significantly when he realized her tone was serious. She sounded stern and angry at him.  
"Come in."  
And with that he gestured her through the door and motioned for her to sit.  
"Would you like a drink or something?"  
She shook her head.  
"Naruto, I want you to forgive Sasuke-kun."  
Her curt bluntness threw him off and he furrowed his brows darkly.

"What?!"  
"Naruto, you... You're not the Naruto we know. You've changed."  
He found himself speechless. Forgive Sasuke? What was wrong with everyone?  
"Hinata, do you even understand what you're saying?"  
"I do, Naruto-Kun. But do _you_? Do you understand what _you're _saying? You can't turn your back on him, he's your friend and he needs you!"  
Often Naruto found himself in awe of the confidence Hinata had found in herself of recent, but now he was angry and hurt at the sudden accusations the two girls had thrown at him.

"Hinata, I haven't changed, I've just grown up. I have a responsibility now, to this village. This village needs me, and they need me to make decisions based on protecting them, not my personal feelings. Whatever the council decides, I will make sure he never brings harm to anyone from the Leaf again."  
With that Hinata advanced toward him and in one swift moment her hand was across his cheek for the second time.

"Naruto, you taught me a lot of things, giving up was not one of them, and giving up on Sasuke-kun was never an option, now he's here asking for your forgiveness and you're turning away from him? I didn't want to believe it when Sakura-san came to me in tears but now I'm seeing it for myself and I'm ashamed.

You should be ashamed too, you fought so hard to protect him and bring him home, you convinced us all to fight for him and now that was for nothing. If you… If you can't forgive him, I can't forgive you!

For once you're wrong Naruto! He's been stuck in this dark place for so long, all alone. Just like you were, he's all alone! And so… You can't abandon him, you just can't!"

It took Naruto some time to process her words and the sharp stinging on his cheek. He felt winded, like he'd been struck in the guts, and he had to take a moment to catch his breath.  
"Hinata.."  
She said nothing, but instead waited patiently for his response.  
"I… Wish I could agree. You were the one who told me it's no longer about myself, and it's not. It's the council's decision and if they choose death, then so be it."  
Naruto watched as her eyes began to water and watched as she turned on her heel and ran from his small apartment.

'_I love you._' She'd once told him. He truly with all his heart wished he loved her like that too. He truly wished he could have given her the answer she wanted to hear. He truly wished that Sasuke hadn't left in the first place.

Every single thing that happened, every word that was ever said, every fight he ever fought, it all seemed connected to Sasuke. They were all consequences of his selfish actions and he truly wished he could keep blaming himself for everything, but he didn't. He blamed Sasuke.

It was always Sasuke.

He slowly followed her lead and left the apartment with no intention of chasing after her. Instead he dragged himself along with heavy footsteps and a heavy heart to find a solitary place to pine.  
Kakashi watched from nearby, hidden, and after evaluating the situation he decided to let it pass for the time being. He would return to Naruto after speaking with none other than Sasuke himself.  
An exasperated sigh escaped his lips as he glanced once more at his stricken student before leaving for the hospital.

"I see you're well."  
Sasuke was sitting in his bed eating his lunch. He looked dejected but otherwise in good health.  
"Hn."  
"You know Sasuke, it's in your best interest to have a positive conversation with me. Just this once. I've told you in the past to listen to me and you haven't, that's how you wound up in this mess."  
The dark glare he shot Kakashi quickly faded when he realized just how right the older ninja was.  
"I'm listening."

Kakashi leant casually against the wall and smiled.  
"That's what I want to hear! Now, you know exactly what this is about don't you? This is about your future. Whether it be here in the Leaf village, or even at all."  
He watched carefully for a flicker of emotion or a change in attitude, but he was pleasantly surprised to find Sasuke remained calm and simply nodded.  
"And you were the messenger they sent?"  
Kakashi paused before answering.  
"It would have been Naruto, but he's in no state to discuss such complicated matters with you."  
The mention of Naruto caught Sasuke off guard, and this time his eyes widened and his face dropped into an expression of melancholy.  
"Does he understand the situation? Does he want me to stay?"  
Kakashi sighed and a look of genuine pity swept across what few features were displayed.

"Even I can't comment on how he feels at this stage. This whole ordeal has... Thrown him off balance. To say the least. Are you aware that he is being looked at for Hokage?"  
Sasuke didn't. His genuine look of surprise mixed with... Well, he couldn't quite place it, maybe it was awe, gave him all the information he needed.  
Maybe it was looking at his worn down face and only seeing the young boy he once knew, and maybe it was looking into his charcoal eyes and seeing pain and sorrow that made him realize he could never exact the death penalty on Sasuke.

'_Can he really fool me that easily? I'll never see through his deception if he is lying... No, I'm not the fool. Mitokado, Utatane, you are the foolish ones for ever believing my relationship with Sasuke wouldn't get in the way of my decision.' _

"I want to see him. I need… I need to speak to him before anything happens. In this world he's my closest friend. He's the only friend I have left. If I lose him, there's no point in living."  
Kakashi didn't believe his anger at the statement needed to be justified.  
"You should have thought about that, a very long time ago."  
He waited for the Uchiha to speak again, but instead Sasuke simply hung his head in shame, not looking up even as Kakashi left.

Sometimes when things got too hard or too confusing Naruto would seek comfort in the faces of the past Hokages. He sat atop his father, the fourth, and looked down at the village. He remembered his promises about surpassing Minato and the promise he'd made to protect the village.  
There was still one other thing he seemed to have forgotten over time, he also made a promise to bring back Sasuke. His comrade, his brother, his best friend.

No. Sasuke chose his path in the darkness, and as hard as it was for Naruto to accept, he'd also chosen a path, a path in the light.  
"Sasuke, do you regret it now? How can I possibly trust you?"  
He closed his eyes and blocked out the brilliant oranges and violets of the slowly setting sun. Tears had started to form and spill out onto his cheeks.  
"Naruto."  
A comforting hand touched his shoulder and he turned to face Kakashi.  
"What do you want Sensei?"  
Kakashi gave a small smile and Naruto quickly wiped away his tears with his shirt sleeve..  
"Sakura told me what happened, I couldn't help but notice Hinata wasn't particularly happy with you when she left your apartment either, Naruto. Want to talk about it?"  
Naruto didn't particularly.  
"With the greatest respect Kakashi-Sensei, all I want is to be on my own."  
"Well, you can claim that my sense of judgement has began to falter but I can honestly say I disagree with you about Sasuke's intentions."

He made no attempts to leave, rather he sat beside his pupil and folded his arms stubbornly. Naruto mimicked his movements.  
"Kakashi, you're wrong. He's just... He's a good liar."  
The older male sighed.

"Naruto, you made a promise. You may not be able to trust him for a long time but please, consider what you're saying. Do you want him to be executed?"  
There's was a long pause before Kakashi spoke again.  
"He's your comrade. I know what you're thinking, but if he proves to be a threat later you can kill him yourself. But for now, give him the chance to earn back your friendship."

'_He was so desperate to cut the ties of our bonds so I let him. It can't be repaired.'_

Is what Naruto wanted to say, instead he found himself saying;  
"Fine. I don't forgive him, I don't trust him but I'll support whatever decision is made."  
He didn't want to hate himself, and if he pushed for Sasuke to be executed he'd never forgive himself.  
All the pain, all the suffering Sasuke had caused Naruto never left. It was always eating away at him and he needed the chance to finally escape it.

"Do what's best for you Naruto. Even if it doesn't feel like something you should do, you need to think about how it'll affect you later in life."  
He stood to leave but was stopped.  
"Sensei, thank you."

The two exchanged candid smiles.  
"Naruto, you've done the right thing. You're going to be a great Hokage, quite possibly one of the greatest."  
And with that he was gone.

"So Kakashi, that's your decision? The Uchiha stays?"  
"Yes. We'll monitor his movements and have him return to my squad so Naruto and myself can keep a close eye on him. I'll have Sai keep an eye on him too, and he can report anything suspicious."  
There was a brief pause before Homura finally nodded in approval.

"Alright then, he can stay. Thank you Kakashi. We'll speaking to you again soon within the next couple of weeks."  
And with that it was decided.  
Sasuke Uchiha had finally returned to the Leaf village.


End file.
